When Gaming becomes an Obsession - net Addiction

1 1 when Gaming becomes an Obsession :Help for Parents and their Children to treat Online Gaming AddictionBy Dr. Kimberly S. YoungDirector, Center for Online My son is a sophomore in high school and he appears to be addicted to online video games. I think his ideal life would be sitting in front of a computer monitor with an IV in his arm to deliver enough nutrients and caffeine that he wouldn't have to eat or sleep. He also has started to lie to his father and me -- and to his teachers -- about his schoolwork to maximize his access to the video games, particularly those on the web. He has some friends, but they are limited to other gamers and he went from being a straight A student to failing out of school. In one sense, I'm glad he isn't out on the streets getting into drugs or other forms of trouble. But I fear his life has become so one-dimensional that he will be damaged as a result of this Obsession .

2 Linda, a concerned mother in California What is online Gaming Addiction ?Online Gaming Addiction is an Addiction to online video games, role-playing games, or any interactive Gaming environment available through the Internet. Online games such EverQuest , the Dark Age of Camelot , or Diablo II dubbed "heroinware" by some players can pose much more complex problems. Extensive chat features give such games a social aspect missing from offline activities, and the collaborative/competitive nature of working with or against other players can make it hard to take a break. I really really really want my life back, 3 years ago I was one of the most popular kids at school, I got invited to all the parties, got lots of girls, had too many friends. Then I became addicted to an online game called Counter-Strike I ve been playing for 3 years.

3 It s very hard for me to get off, I wake up in the morning, no shower, get on the computer, stay on till the wee hours of the mornings, go to sleep, explained one 2gaming addict. I don't know how to get off, I ve It s just too hard. I heard this is a very common problem, but I really want to get my life back and I'd give anything. In the early days of the Internet, MUDding was seen as the big thing. Interactive online games that were a take off on the old Dungeons and Dragons games, often know as Multi-User Dungeons, or MUDs, that drew upon power, dominance, and recognition within a role-playing make-believe virtual world. Young men traditionally gravitated towards these role-playing games to assume a character role associated with specific skills, attributes, and rankings that fellow players acknowledge and treat accordingly. MUDs differed from traditional video arcade games in that instead of a player s hand-eye coordination improving, the actual strength, skills, and rankings of the character improved.

4 MUD players earned respect and recognition from fellow players, and younger men, especially those with low self-esteem and weak interpersonal skills were at greatest risk to get addicted if they developed a powerful persona within the , EverQuest is perhaps one of the fastest growing multi-user games to gain popularity within the mainstream public, which equally seems to impact men and women. Interactive Gaming has taken on new themes beyond Dungeons and Dragons and are easier to learn, appealing to the more mainstream. In several documented cases, interactive Gaming has led to divorce, job loss, and health problems among those suffer from an Addiction . While not as prevalent as addictions to cyberporn or online chatting, interactive online Gaming has grown substantially over the last few decades reaching millions of users. Gaming also encompasses traditional board games such as YAHZEE or Bingo that have taken on an interactive and social nature when played online, and virtual 3casinos have also grown rapidly, especially among teenagers and college-aged populations who now easily access black jack, roulette, or poker tables titles account for a small portion of the overall games business, but research firm IDC expect online games to account for $ billion in annual revenue by 2005, as Microsoft, Sony and others compete to push gamers online.

5 As online Gaming becomes more popular, more parents as well as their children are discovering the addictive lure. My son has completely withdrawn from his family and from all reality, explains one mother. At first, his father and I were happy that he seemed interested in the Internet. He had no other hobbies and he seemed to make friends online, but soon, the game took over his life. He didn t shower, didn t eat, and didn t leave his room. My husband and I became worried and tried to set time limits, but he just got mad. I mean angry and hateful towards us. It was a side of our son we had never seen. All he wanted was the game. We are so scared and don t know where to turn. Counselors we have talked to just tell us it is a phase and to ignore it, but we can t. His whole life is the game. This is more than a phase - it is an Obsession .

6 We are desperate to find him help. The Warning SignsParents across the globe are increasingly concerned about their sons and daughters online Gaming habits. They are sure that there is a problem but counselors unfamiliar with online Gaming Addiction don t understand how seductive they can be. One parent that I had worked with told me she had gone to talked to her son s guidance counselors, the school psychologist, and two local Addiction rehabilitation centers. No one had ever heard of someone getting addicted to X-Box. They all told me it was a 4phase and that I should try to limit my son s game playing. They didn t understand that I couldn t. He had lost touch with reality. My son lost interest in everything else. He didn t want to eat, sleep, or go to school, the game was the only thing that mattered to him. when I told him to get offline, he yelled, screamed, and once, he pushed me.

7 This isn t my son. He s a quiet and loving boy. Now, I don t know who is. Parents often feel alone and scared as their children become hooked to something that no one seems to understand. I couldn t believe it when my therapist told me to just turn off the computer. That was like telling the parent of an alcoholic son to tell him to just stop drinking. It wasn t that simple. We felt like no one was taking us seriously that our son had a real problem. Parents search for information and help of any kind as they helplessly watch their sons and daughters become more absorbed into the computer and begin to see the warning signs of a dangerous pattern. Gamers who become hooked show clear signs of Addiction . Like a drug, gamers who play almost every day, play for extended periods of time (over 4 hours), get restless or irritable if they can t play, and sacrifice other social activities just to game are showing signs of Addiction .

8 Common warning signs include: A preoccupation with Gaming Lying or hiding Gaming use Disobedience at time limits Loss of interest in other activities Social withdrawal from family and friends Psychological withdrawal from the game5 Using Gaming as an escape Continuing to game despite its consequencesPreoccupation with gamingThe Addiction process begins with a preoccupation with Gaming . Gamers will think about the game when offline and often fantasize about playing the game when they should be concentrating on other things. Instead of thinking about the paper that needs to be completed for school, or going to class, or studying at the library, the gamer becomes completely focused on playing the game. Gamers start to miss deadlines, neglect work or social activities as being online and playing the game becomes their main priority. Lying or hiding Gaming useSome gamers spend days and nights online.

9 They don t eat, sleep, or take a shower because of the game. They lie to family and friends about what they are really doing on the computer. Students tell their parents that they are doing their homework, spouses tell their family that they are using the computer for work, and friends will make up excuses for why they can t go out all to find more time to play the of interest in other activities just to gameAs the Addiction progress grows, gamers become less interested in hobbies or activities that they used to enjoy and more fascinated with the game. I had one mother tell me about her son who loved baseball and played Varsity on his high school team until he discovered X-Box Live. His grades plummeted after he discovered the game, but it 6wasn t until he quit the baseball team that I knew that something seriously wrong. He loved baseball too much.

10 He even won a baseball scholarship for college and dreamed about playing professionally. Now, nothing else matters to him except the game. Withdrawal from family and friendsSome gamers experience personality changes the more addicted they become . Once outgoing and social, gamers who become addicted spend less time with their friends and family and more time alone in front of the computer. They prefer the game to making social relationships and the people that were once important in real life become less important. As one mother explained, If no one else existed he would play the game all day. If they do have real life friends, they are usually fellow gamers. In some cases, gamers are introverts and have problems making social connections in real life and turn to the game to find the friendship and acceptance missing in their lives. Disobedience at time limits on gamingBecause of their Addiction , gamers become defensive about their need to play the game and angry when forced to go without it.